Artillery Shell Fragment from Cemetery Ridge, Gettysburg – ex-Rosensteel museum collection

This is another nice piece coming out of the large Gettysburg collection I acquired.  It is a large section of a Read/Parrott artillery shell. It measures 4 ½” x 2 ¾” and weighs 1-pound. This fragment was recovered during the first half of the 20th century.  It was recovered by Iva Rosensteel on Cemetery Ridge, between the Sedgewick monument and the New Jersey monument (see pictures).  

Iva Rosensteel was the sister of George Rosensteel, who was the founder of the Gettysburg National Museum and the famous Electric Map. The Rosensteels were, of course, the most famous artifact collecting family in Gettysburg and the bulk of the relics on display at today's Gettysburg National Park Visitor Center come from the Rosensteels.

Cemetery Ridge is a geographic feature in Gettysburg National Military Park, south of the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that figured prominently in the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 to July 3, 1863 (see map). It formed a primary defensive position for the Union Army during the battle, roughly the center of what is popularly known as the "fish-hook" line. The Confederate States Army launched attacks on the Union positions on the second and third days of the battle but were driven back both times.

The Rosensteel Collection is arguably the most famous collection of Gettysburg relics that have ever existed. John Rosensteel opened his Round Top Museum of Gettysburg artifacts in 1888. The collection, which grew in size as a variety of local collections were acquired and became the nucleus of the Electric Map Museum collection and ultimately the Gettysburg National Park Museum and Visitor Center collection.